Page 94 of Broken Love

“Hardcore masochism.”

Her lips twitch. “Box.”

“It…” I give half a shrug with my good shoulder. “It never really occurred to me to destroy them.”

She stares at me and I see her running the words through every bullshit detector she has. “Is that true?”

“It’s half-true,” I say. “I don’t know. I guess it was the only thing I had that reminded me of our marriage. As brief and tumultuous as it was. We didn’t exactly exchange rings.”

Caleb stares at me in silent pause and, for the first time, I can’t figure out which direction the wheels are turning in her head. “Boxcar…” She wets her lips, hesitating on her words. “I—”

“Wait—” I hold up a hand and rise off the stool. “Before you do that thing I know you’re about to do, I need to say something first.”

She goes quiet and I shift a little closer to her.

“I’ve spent the last two years running from you because I didn’t want to lose you — and yes, I know that makes absolutely no logical sense, but that’s the truth. That wasn’t fair to you and what you wanted and I’m sorry.” I push the envelope over to her. “No more games, Caleb Fawn. I love you. I always have. Ever since the moment I saw you and it didn’t have anything to do with the wild hallucinations brought on by extreme dehydration and heat exposure.” She chuckles softly and my heart swells. “You’re it for me… but I get it if that doesn’t go both ways and I’m prepared to let you go if that’s what you want.”

“Is that all?” she asks, red flooding her cheeks.

“Yeah.” I smile and shift a half step back. “Go ahead, then. Lay it on me.”

She pauses as her lips curl. “Well, before that sudden interruption, I was going to say…” She swipes the envelope off the counter, sliding it fast out from under my fingers. “I love you.”

Fire shoots down my spine.

The L-word.

Caleb Fawn just said the actual L-word and she said it to me.

“But…?” I ask.

She smiles wider. “I love you, Boxcar, and it has nothing to do with how badass you looked holding my revolver. Though, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t turn me on a little bit.”

I laugh. “Okay…” I take an unsteady breath. “So, what does that mean?”

“It means that you went really above and beyond for me. You could easily have ignored that call the Harts made and ditched me, but you didn’t. The man who does that deserves a heck of a lot more than a second chance, I think.”

“You might be right.”

“But…”

I deflate. “So close…”

“But the ball lies in your court, Box. It’s up to you to decide if a woman like me deserves a second or a third or even a fourth chance.”

There’s a lack of confidence in her voice as if I’m about to reject her outright and kick her to the proverbial curb. A laugh permanently bounces in the back of my throat. To even think that I’m capable of rejecting her is downright ludicrous.

“Is that even a question?” I ask.

She shrugs. “I could rephrase it as one.”

“Don’t bother. I wouldn’t be here now if every high and low with you wasn’t worth it, Cal.”

“You’re quite the glutton for punishment.”

“Your bite always tickled a little,” I joke. “Well, you know where I stand. What say you, Caleb Fawn? Will you stay my wife?”

Her fingers grip the envelope a little tighter as she scans the floor. She bends down and grabs the garbage bag full of shitty cameras by my feet and tosses the papers inside.

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